Parking meters in Ottawa will soon go the way of the dinosaurs, but residents will be able to give their input as the city prepares to replace meters with a pay-and-display system.

Residents will be heard at the transportation committee meeting at city hall tomorrow morning, where members will debate the city’s parking management strategy.

Last week, city staff said during a technical briefing the city will be replacing almost all meters in the city with the more reliable pay-and-display system, with the first ones hitting the streets by early 2010.

The machines accept payment through credit cards, smart cards and cellphones, but don’t just save the coins for coffee — the machines will still take them. City staff said they will also ensure future changes to accommodate technology can be made.

While Precise ParkLink Inc. submitted an unsolicited proposal for an integrated parking system that included pay-and-display technology, the city has yet to choose the company that will manage the machines. The contract to manage the machines is a 10-year agreement, but all parking policy decisions, including when, where and how much to charge for parking, remain with the city.